With two weeks to go before the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell holds its much anticipated convention, the changes are beginning to take shape for its newlook National Executive.
The biggest casualty seems to be the current General Secretary Learrie Barry who is apparently making way for Minister of Mobilisation Implementation and Transformation (MIT) Andy Williams, the Member of Parliament for the South St George constituency.
It is not a national secret that Mr. Barry has been under pressure from some of the strongest supporters of Congress for him to step aside since he has been seen as a failure when it comes to putting the type of organisational structures in place in the party to put it on the right footing for the next general election.
The truth is that the NDC remains too much of a lose bunch of politicians and the party is lacking that political centre like a headquarters to carry out its activities across the country.
In boxing terms (pound to pound), the ruling party lags behind the main opposition New National Party (NNP) of Keith Mitchell/Emmalin Pierre in the critical area of party organisational structure.
There are those who believe that Minister Williams should not assume the position of General Secretary of the party since he is already burdened with a large and heavy ministerial portfolio.
THE NEW TODAY is not aware of any person within the NDC at the moment who possesses the qualities and skills to handle the organisational work that is required not only now but at all times to make sure that the party is always prepared to face the electorate.
The decision-makers in Congress will have to make the bold decision in the next few weeks to look towards its sister parties in the region for help in recruiting that individual who can help put the working and effective political structures in place to take the party to the next level in its evolution.
The Prime Minister remains the central figure who can attract the electorate to vote NDC back into office for another 5-year term in office.
However, the job for Dickon Mitchell will be made very easy if the party puts the machinery in place to win the election whenever the Prime Minister decides to seek a fresh mandate.
The NDC has only itself to blame if the party does not get another 5-year mandate from the people.
The NNP is currently in disarray with Keith Mitchell and Emmalin Pierre lacking the political skills to ensure a victory for the party at the next national poll.
The main opposition party is very vulnerable due to the actions of Keith Mitchell since he lost the 2022 general election to Dickon Mitchell and Congress.
There is a misconception in Grenada that the aging Mitchell is a major political strategist and can be expected to try and plot a path for the NNP to win the next election.
Over the years, this task has never been performed by Keith Mitchell but by those around him like Jamaican Joan Webley, former revolutionary soldier Einstein Louison and a few others who were more equipped than him with that talent.
Keith Mitchell’s main role in the enterprise was to sell the NNP to the Grenadian population and he did a good job of it especially in the 1995-2003 period among the so-called poor and vulnerable.
The current NNP set-up is now looking to him to wave the magic wand and win the next election but he does not have what it takes to get the job done for the party.
In recent years, he has lost the services of a number of key and important figures who brought something to the NNP table – the likes of the late Governor General Sir Daniel Williams, Dr. Bert Brathwaite, Dr. Lawrence Joseph and Terrence Forrester.
The NNP members and supporters will be making a serious and major mistake if they are looking to the aging leader to take them to victory in the next election.
Keith Mitchell has made a serious gamble due to his scheming to get back into power and instead failed to do what the NDC did in 2021 with Dickon Mitchell.
The veteran NNP leader should be looking at passing the baton to the younger generation of leaders in the party like Dwight Horsford, Dr. Myanna Charles, Amanda Japal and Christopher DeAllie (JR) – and not the face being Emmalin Pierre, Yolande Bain-Horsford, Gregory Bowen, Alvin DaBreo and Laurina Waldron.
THE NEW TODAY would like to make some passing comments on a recent incident in St Andrew in which the farm of a young female mother was vandalized and she lost thousands of dollars due to the action of someone to steal all the mature melons and also to cut up all the young ones.
It is our sincere hope that the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) leave no stone unturned in catching those responsible for this assault on the farming community.
As a country, there is no excuse for the failure of the authorities to bring into play the amount of security cameras that were donated by a friendly country to be placed in strategic positions around the island.
The device could have been reviewed and might have been able to provide the police with a possible lead as regards the culprit.
This initiative should be placed on the top priority list of the new acting Commissioner of Police Randy Connaught as a tool in crime fighting on the island.